Mounting clamp for terminal blocks



Jan. 22, 1952 l IER E ET AL 2,583,157

MOUNTING CLAMP FOR TERMINAL BLOCKS Filed July 17, 1948 Fi 2. I

WITNESSES: INVENTORS I c Lawrence Pierce 8 John C. Ponstingl.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 22, 1952 MOUNTING CLAMP FOR TERMINAL BLOCKS.

Lawrence Pierce, Swissvale, and John C. Ponstingl, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania I Application July 17, 1948, Serial No. 39,358

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a mounting clamp for an insulating terminal block.

More specifically, this invention relates to a mounting clamp for use with terminal blocks of the type shown in the copending application of John C. Ponstingl, Serial No. 734,428 filed March 13, 1947, now abandoned, and in the copending application filed in the name of Lawrence Pierce and John C. Ponstingl, Serial No. 734,429, filed March 13, 1947, now abandoned, to which applications reference is hereby made. In the said applications there is shown a novel form of terminal block which may be constructed by a single molding operation from any suitable moldable insulating material. The terminal block comprises a body portion in the form of a channel having side walls connected at their base by a Web. The channel provided by the body portion is adapted to receive a terminal connector also in the shape of a channel formed of conducting material and to which the terminal ends of conductors may be connected. The body portion of the terminal block is provided with a dovetailed depending portion in the shape of a dove tail which is receivable between the flanges of a channel mounting strip in such manner that a plu rality of terminal blocks may be carried by a single channel strip.

In the said application of John C. Ponstingl, Serial No. 734,429, the edges of the dove-tail depending portion are illustrated as being rounded so that the terminal block may be rotated from a position extending transversely from the mounting strip to a position longitudinally thereof in which position the rounded sides of the dove-tail portion are out of engagement with the flanges of the mounting strip thereby permitting removal of the terminal block from the mounting strip.

This latter feature is considered very desirable in that it permits removal of a terminal block from the center of a plurality of terminal blocks Without requiring the removal of terminal blocks on either side thereof. Thus to effect removal of the terminal block it is only necessary to release a clamping device at the end of the blocks to a releasable mounting clamp in the form of a metallic member supported transversely between the confronting edges of the flanges of a mounting strip having a dove-tailed channel and being of sufiicient length to be locked or wedged therebetween.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

In the drawing, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure Us a perspective view showing a mounting clamp constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention in an operative position with respect to terminal blocks and a mounting strip;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of one of the terminal blocks shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a structure shown in Fi 1.

In the drawing, the numeral l designates as a whole a terminal strip of the type with which this invention is concerned.

Each of the terminal blocks comprises a body portion 2 in the shape of a channel having side Walls 3 connected at their base by a web 4. Terminal connectors 5 are receivable between the channel side walls 3 as explained in the abovementioned copending applications. Each of the body portions 2 is provided with an integral depending portion 6 having the contour of a dove tail as viewed from the side. The sides of the depending portion 6 diverge outwardly and engage with the inwardly converging flanges l of a channel-shape mounting strip 8 as shown in Fi 1.

When the terminal block is positioned with its depending portion 6 in the channel of the mounting strip 8 and is disposed transversely of the strip 8 as shown in Fig. 1, the dove-tail contour of the depending part 6 interlocks with the flanges I. As best shown in Fig. 2, the flange engaging sides are rounded as at 9 in order that the block may be rotated out of engagement with the sides 1 of the channel strip 8 to a position in which the block 2 is positioned at right angles to its transverse position as shown in Fig. 1. When so positioned, the sides 9 are completely disengaged from the channel flanges l and the block may be removed through the opening between the upper edges of the channel sides I.

In order to maintain the terminal blocks 2 in a position extending transversely of the channel 821 strip 8, clamping means must be provided for holding the plugs in abutting engagement with each other. This may be accomplished by a retaining member l9 in the shape of a reversed L disposed with its vertical leg in abutting engagement with one of the end terminal blocks 2. The retaining member I is held permanently in position with respect to the strip 8 by clamping the flanges 1 downwardly as at H into clamping engagement with the horizontal leg of the member 10. The clamping member engageable with the other end terminal block 2 must be releasable in order that the blocks may be moved out of abutting engagement with each other to permit rotation and removal of any one or any number of the plugs as explained above.

The other clamping device for the other end terminal block 2 is indicated as a whole by the numeral 12. As best shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the releasable mounting clamp I2 comprises an L-shaped member 13 having a horizontal leg 14 that is wide enough to engage the strap 8 over substantially the entire base of the channel, and has a vertical leg slightly less in width than the distance between the inner edges of the flanges 1.

A U-shaped member 18 of spring steel or other spring material is disposed over the vertical leg as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The left-hand leg I! is shorter than the distance between the inner edges of the flanges 7 whereas the righthand leg [8 is longer than the distance between the inner edges of the flanges i. The bight of the U-shaped member is of sufficient thickness to fit snugly between the edge of the vertical leg and the inner edge of the left-hand flange I without binding.

When the blocks are in position against the stop [0, adjustable clamp or stop I2 is slid along the channel by a force exerted on the leg I 4. The leg I8 bows out as seen in Figs. 1 and 4, and when the clamp I2 is forced firmly against the forward end block, the leg is firmly locks the parts in position by its end engagement with the inner or free edge of the right-hand flange i.

When the parts are to be disassembled a screwdriver or similar instrument need merely be inserted between the leg l8 and the leg 15 and the clamp 12 moved toward the right as seen in Figs. 1 and 4.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above-described construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim as our invention:

An adjustable clamp assembly comprising in combination, a channel member having inwardly projecting sides forming a dove-tail slot, an L- shaped member of sheet material having a base portion slidably fitted between the bottom corners of said slot and having a substantially vertical section projecting above the top of the sides of said slot and being disposed transversely thereof between said sides, a U-shaped spring of fiat spring material, one leg of said U-shaped spring being longer than the other and being of a dimension from the bottom of said U-shaped spring to the extremity of said one leg which is greater than the distance between the confronting edges of said slot, said U-shaped spring being positioned over said vertical section, the internal dimension across the bight of the U-shaped spring corresponding to the thickness of said vertical section whereby the legs of said U-shaped spring at least adjacent said bight slidably engage opposite faces of said vertical section, the outer surface of said bight and the extremity of said one leg engaging opposite edges of said slot to secure said L-shaped member against movement in a direction to engage the face thereof adjacent said one leg with said one leg.

LAWRENCE PIERCE.

JOHN C. PONSTINGL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

